The MPIG is to be scrapped, because it is holding back patient choice, the government has said.

In the absence of MPIG what will become of rural surgeries? Here the number of patients is limited but distances to the nearest urban or semi-urban centre can be too far for comfort as far as healthcare is concerned. Will there be special measures taken to prevent our rural services disappearing? Where this tired old mantra 'patient choice' is concerned, there is a limited number of GPs and when someone is really ill they will simply not be able to choose who they see. The review is a complete sham as far as primary care is concerned and shows how the government has not even begun to address the fundamental issue that maintains the inequality in healthcare: poverty. Until the system is designed properly to ameliorate the huge discrepancies is income and all that goes with them, no reviews of health, education or anything else will make a scrap of difference.

Would someone please try to explain how taking yet more resource out of Primary Care will improve anything.This is a complete non-sequitur which even politicians should have the intelligence to understand. Evidently not.

If Alan Johnson thinks it is a good idea to ask GP's to do better, work longer hours, provide extra services etc, but on the other hand then expect them to agree to be paid less to do it, what side of Mars did he come from. I am a practice secretary and have to put up with it, but how can you really realistically expect qualified, experienced quality GP's to put up with it?

If the MPIG goes then 90%+ practices will lose out - clinical and non-clinical staff will have to be let go and this will improve patient care how ? Please bring on the next election because even 'The Raving Looney Party' must be better than this lot.